Medieval Entertainment

Medieval EntertainmentMedieval Entertainment was extremely important to people who lived in the Medieval era. Medieval entertainment was popular whenever there was something to celebrate! A betrothal, wedding, victories and festivals. Court entertainment was regular, often a nightly occurrence combined with feasts, jousts and banquets. But the poor people enjoyed entertainment from travelling minstrels and troubadours, tournaments, dancing and trained animals, mummers (dancers), mystery plays, jugglers and strolling players.

Medieval EntertainmentSo This section regarding Medieval entertainment provides a full over view with facts and information about of Medieval Merry making!

Medieval EntertainersThe Names and Types of Medieval Entertainment were as follows:

Jesters - A fool or buffoon at medieval courts

Mummers - A masked or costumed merrymaker or dancer especially at a festival

Minstrels - Travelling musician who sang of legends

Troubadours - Travelling musician who sang of courtly love

Strolling Players - Travelling actors

Jugglers - Also used tricks, deception, or fraud

Medieval Entertainment - Religious Feasts, Fairs and FestivalsMedieval people loved entertainment! The more entertainment the better! Feasts Fairs and Festivals were all common occurrences and were celebrated during specific times of the year most of which were dictated by the Church and religious festivals. A calendar of Medieval entertainment in terms of religious feasts, fairs and festivals is detailed as follows:

January Medieval Entertainment - Twelfth Night Religious festival and feasts celebrating the visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, following the birth of Jesus

March Medieval Entertainment - Easter celebrated by the Mystery plays depicting the crucifixion ( Good Friday) and the resurrection ( Easter Monday )

April Medieval Entertainment - All Fool's Day. The Jesters, or Lords of Misrule, took charge for the day and caused mayhem with jokes and jests!

May Day Medieval Entertainment - Summer festival celebrating May Day when a Queen of the May was chosen and villagers danced around the maypole

June Medieval Entertainment - Midsummer Eve, the Mummers entertained at the 'Festival of Fire' reliving legends such as St George and the Dragon. Bones were often burned leading to the term 'bonfire'. The summer Solstice was June 23rd

July Medieval Entertainment - Swithin's Day falls on 15th July. Legend says that during the bones of St Swithin were moved and after the ceremony it began to rain and continued to do so for forty days

August Medieval Entertainment - Lammas Day was celebrated on August 2nd. The ' loaf-mass ' day, the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. Houses were sometimes decorated with garlands. Candle lit processions and apple-bobbing was featured!

September Medieval Entertainment - 29th September was when Michaelmas celebrated the life of St Michael and the traditional food on Michaelmas was goose or chicken

October Medieval Entertainment - October 25th celebrating St Crispin's Day. Revels and bonfires and people acted as 'King Crispin'

November Medieval Entertainment - The Day of the Dead - All Souls Day or All Hallow's Day ( Halloween ) when revels were held and bonfires were lit

December Medieval Entertainment - The feasts and Christmas celebrations

The Feasts, Fairs and Festivals were all held at the same time of year giving Medieval people something to look forward to in their everyday Medieval lives.

Medieval Entertainment

Medieval Entertainment

Medieval DancesMedieval dance music dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The carole was the most popular dance-song which could be danced in a circle, in a chain, or as a processional. Our modern Christmas Carols are derived from this practice. Names of famous Medieval dances enjoyed in Medieval entertainment include the following: